What Is Sodium Saccharine

Between saccharin, aspartame, sucralose, stevia and the long-outlawed cyclamates, it's easy to be confused by all the artificial sweeteners. Judging which products are best for baking and which are best for use at the table is baffling enough without weighing the relative safety concerns. Sodium saccharin has 100-plus years of commercial use in the U.S. Scientists have exhaustively studied its relative safety over the decades.

Chemisty

Sodium saccharin is the salt form of saccharin, an artificial sweetener. Like many other salts, it dissociates into its component parts when dissolved in water. The words "sodium saccharin" and "saccharin" are used interchangeably because saccharin is the component that has the sweet taste. Both names are easier to use than the true chemical name, which is 1,2-benzisothiazol-3(2H)-one,1,1-dioxide. This chemical has a molecular weight of 241.19. Sodium saccharin has 300 times the sweetening power of sugar. Inert bulking agents are commonly added to commercial products to make them easier to use.

Uses

In addition to the little packets found in dishes on restaurant table tops, sodium saccharin is customarily used in canned fruit, flavored gelatin, dessert toppings, diet sodas, baked goods, jams, chewing gum, candy, and salad dressings. Unlike aspartame, sodium saccharin is heat stable so it can be used in cooking and baking without losing sweetness.

Uses

In addition to the little packets found in dishes on restaurant table tops, food sweetener sodium saccharin is customarily used in canned fruit, flavored gelatin, dessert toppings, diet sodas, baked goods, jams, chewing gum, candy, and salad dressings. Unlike aspartame, sodium saccharin is heat stable so it can be used in cooking and baking without losing sweetness.